1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a split-type connector and connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-241801 discloses a split-type connector assembly for gathering ends of an automotive wiring harness laid along a plurality of independent paths and connecting the gathered ends with a piece of equipment or the like. This connector assembly includes a first connector for gathering the ends of the wiring harness and a second connector provided at a mating side. The first connector has a frame-shaped holder with open front and rear ends and auxiliary connectors are insertable into the holder. The second connector includes a receptacle for accommodating the first connector.
The split-type connector assembly preferably has a retainer to lock the auxiliary connectors in the holder of the first connector and to detect whether the auxiliary connectors are mounted properly in the holder. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-106665 discloses a retainer mechanism for doubly locking terminal fittings inserted into a connector housing and detecting whether the terminal fittings have been inserted to proper positions.
The auxiliary connectors are mounted into the holder with the retainer at a partial locking position. The retainer then is moved to a full locking position to engage and lock the auxiliary connectors. Any auxiliary connector that is mounted incompletely interferes with the retainer and prevents the retainer from being pushed to the full locking position. The retainer projects from the outer surface of the holder when the retainer is at the partial locking position and the projecting portion of the retainer interferes with the opening edge of the receptacle when the first connector is urged into the second connector.
Improperly mounted auxiliary connectors are detected by the interference of the retainer and the receptacle when the first connector is connected with the second connector. Such interference also can detect that the retainer was not pushed from the partial locking position to the full locking position even though all of the auxiliary connectors are mounted properly.
The retainer must be at the partial locking position and retracted from the mounting paths of the auxiliary connectors to mount the auxiliary connectors into the holder. However, the retainer may be pushed erroneously to the full locking position before the auxiliary connectors are mounted, and hence the retainer is in the mounting paths of the auxiliary connectors.
In such a case, the retainer interferes with the auxiliary connectors, and the auxiliary connectors cannot be mounted. This requires the retainer to be pulled to the partial locking position, thereby reducing operational efficiency.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to avoid inefficiencies when a retainer is inadvertently moved towards full locking position before auxiliary connectors are mounted.